Automated driving system with integrated hands-on and hands-off modes

A vehicle comprising:

• an automated driving controller, the automated driving controller being configured to:
• receive a request from a driver of the vehicle to enable an automated driving system;
• based on a determination that an adaptive cruise control system is available, activate the adaptive cruise control system;
• based on a determination that the vehicle is located on a mapped road, using high-definition map data for geofenced roads and that the adaptive cruise control system is active, automatically upon the vehicle entering a geofenced mapped road segment, display an icon of a steering wheel without hands indicating a transition to a hands-off operating mode of the automated driving system and operate the automated driving system in the hands-off operating mode, and, in the hands-off operating mode, autonomously control lateral steering/trajectory and longitudinal speed/distance;
• and
• based on a determination that the vehicle is not located on a mapped road and that the adaptive cruise control system is active, automatically upon the vehicle exiting the geofenced mapped road segment, display a red icon of a steering wheel with hands indicating a transition to a hands-on operating mode of the automated driving system and operate the automated driving system in the hands-on operating mode,
• wherein in the hands-on operating mode the automated driving system provides assistance with lane centering and speed regulation while monitoring a steering wheel touch sensor to detect whether one or more hands of the driver are disposed on a steering wheel.

A method for operating an automated driving system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a driver of the vehicle to enable the automated driving system;
• monitoring a location of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is on a mapped road or an unmapped road;
• monitoring a state of an adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle, wherein determining whether the vehicle is on a mapped road uses high-definition map data for geofenced roads;
• automatically upon the vehicle entering a geofenced mapped road segment and based on a determination that the adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle is active, operating the automated driving system in a hands-off operating mode in which the automated driving system autonomously controls lateral steering/trajectory and longitudinal speed/distance;
• and
• automatically upon the vehicle exiting the geofenced mapped road segment and based on a determination that the adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle is active, operating the automated driving system in a hands-on operating mode,
• wherein in the hands-on operating mode the automated driving system provides assistance with lane centering and speed regulation while monitoring a steering wheel touch sensor to detect whether one or more hands of the driver are disposed on a steering wheel;
• responsive to a disengagement or unavailability of the adaptive cruise control system, placing the automated driving system in a standby mode, displaying an indication of standby mode, deactivating automated driving features, and upon reactivation of the adaptive cruise control system resuming an appropriate one of the hands-off operating mode and the hands-on operating mode based on whether the vehicle is on the mapped road or the unmapped road;
• monitoring driver attentiveness while the automated driving system is in one of the hands-off operating mode and the hands-on operating mode and, if a level of attentiveness of the driver is less than a threshold level, displaying a request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, and if the level of attentiveness of the driver increases above the threshold level during a specified time period after displaying the request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to continue operation in the one of the hands-off operating mode and the hands-on operating mode, and if the level of attentiveness of the driver does not increase above the threshold level during the specified time period after displaying the request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, disabling the automated driving system for the remainder of a key cycle of the vehicle;
• and
• when the hands-off operating mode becomes unavailable, displaying a reason for unavailability and, responsive to a long press of a lane centering button, presenting HMI messages that detail causes of unavailability.